Following a respectable 2024 season for the Seattle Storm, star guard Jewell Loyd has surprisingly asked for a trade, Annie Costabile of The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Wednesday. Loyd, 31, signed a two-year contract extension with Seattle in September of 2023. With one year of the extension completed, Loyd is seemingly ready for a change.
The trade request will unquestionably draw the attention of Storm fans, as Loyd has played in Seattle for her entire WNBA career. She made her WNBA debut in 2015 with the Storm, and Loyd has since become a six-time All-Star in the league. In fact, she has made four consecutive All-Star games.
Fans of the Chicago Sky are already pushing for the team to acquire her, as Loyd is originally from Illinois. The Sky could make sense as a landing destination as they look to build a competitive team around Angel Reese. Adding an established star such as Loyd would help the Sky take a step forward.
However, there are no rumors to indicate whether or not Chicago is even interested. Still, one has to imagine that plenty of teams will attempt to trade for Jewell Loyd amid her request. At 31 years old, she is still more than capable of providing a crucial impact for any team in the WNBA.
Jewell Loyd requests trade
Loyd averaged 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per outing during the 2024 season. In 2023, Loyd enjoyed one of the best seasons of her entire career, averaging 24.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The last two years suggest that Loyd is certainly not slowing down.
The question is whether or not the Storm will accept her trade request. If so, a deal could come to fruition ahead of the 2025 WNBA season. The Golden State Valkyries' expansion draft is scheduled for Friday. WNBA free agency will begin in February, so perhaps Seattle will wait until then as teams look to fill their roster needs.
There is uncertainty around the situation, but a trade could happen this offseason. It will be the end of an era if a trade does end up happening, as Loyd has spent the past 10 seasons in Seattle. The Storm could add impactful players for the future in a deal, though. Seattle will obviously want quality value in the event that a trade does take place.